英语故事The Key To The Earth.docx

英语故事The Key To The Earth.docx

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英语故事TheKeyToTheEarth

英语故事

TheKeyToTheEarth

　　SeekinggemsisatradeI’veneverhadmuchlikingfor.I’vefoundthem，attimes，butbychance.Youhappentobelookingatpebbleswasheddownandyouseesomethingsparkling.Well，youpickitupandshowittosomeonewithknowledgefthosethings-shallIkeepitorthrowitaway？

　　Withgold，now，it’ssimple.Ofcoursethere’sdifferentkindswiththattoo，somebetter，someworse；butit’snotlikethosestones.Withthemneithersizenorweighthaveanymeaning.Youcanhaveabigoneandasmallone，theybothshinethesame，butwhentheyaretestedyoufindthey’redifferent.Andforthebigonefolkswon’tgiveacopper，whilethey’realleagerafterthelittleone-amazingwater，theysay，it’llhavetherealfire.

　　There’stimesit’squeererstill.They’llbuyastonefromyouandrightthereyouwatchthemchipoffhalfofitandthrowitaway.“Thatonlyspoilsit，”they’llsay，“itdimsthefire.”Adthentheywillgrindoffhalfofwhat’sleft，andsingthepraisesofittoo-“There’sthepurewater，nowit’llsparklesoit’llshamethelamps！

”Andit’sright，thestone’llenduptiny，butasifitwasaliveandlaughing.Butwhatitcosts-that’snolaughingmatter，youhearitandgasp.Nay，Icanmakenaughtofthosethings.

　　Butallthattalkaboutstonesthatkeepyoufromsickness，andstonesthatguardyouwhenyou’resleeping，orkeepsorrowawayandalltherestofit，that’sjustidlechattertomymind，naughtelse.ThoughthereisonetaleaboutstonesIheardfrommyoldfolksthattookmyfancy.It’sanutwithagoodkernel，forthosewithsoundteethtocrackit.

　　Theysaythere’sastonesomewhereundertheground，andnootherlikeitanywhere，it’stheonlyone.Nonehaveeverfoundthatstone.Notjustinourland，butinotherlandstoo，butthewordofit’sknownallover.Andthestoneisunderoursoil.Theoldfolksfoundthatout.Nooneknowsthespotwhereitis，butthat’snomatter，forthestonewillcomeitselftothehandoftherightone.That’sanotherthingspecialaboutit.Folkslearneditallfromayoungmaid.Thisisthewhytheysayitwas.

　　NearMurzinka，ormaybeitwassomeotherplace，therewasabigoremine.Theyfoundgoldandallsortsofgemsthere.ItwasCrownland，thosedays.Andtheofficialswiththeirbrightbuttons-butchersinuniform，theywere-usedtodrivefolkstoworkwithbeato’drum，anddrumthemthroughthelinesrunningthegauntlet，withstripesrainingdownonthem.Arealplaceoftorment，itwas.

　　Inthemidstofitallwasthatlittlegirl，Vasenka.Shewasbornatthemineandshelivedthere，summerandwinter.Hermotherwasasortofcookatthebarrackwheretheforemenlived；asforhermother，Vasenkaknewnaughtofhim.

　　Noneedtotellyouthesortoflifechildrenofthatkindlived.Menhadtoholdtheirtonguesunderallthetorment，butthenitwouldgettoomuchforthemandthey’dcurseherorcloutherovertheheadbecausetheyhadtoletitoutonsomeone.Aye，itwasabitterlifeshehad.Worsethananorphan’s.Andtherewasnonecouldsaveherfrombeingputtoworkearly，either.Achild，withhandshardlystrongenoughtoholdthereins，adshewasputtocarting.“Carrysandinsteadofgettingunderfolks’feet！

”

　　Assoonasshegrewabitbiggershewasgivenaboardandsentoffwiththeothermaidsandwomentosearchthesandforgems.AndthentheyfoundVasenkahadarealknackforit.Shefoundmorethananyothers，andallgoodones，reallyvaluable.

　　Shewasasimple-heartedmaid，whatshefoundshehandedinatoncetothoseoverher.Andgladtheywere，ofcourse.Sometheyputinthebank，someintheirpocketsandsomeintheircheek.Youknowtheoldsaying-whatabigmanputsinhispocketalittleonehastohide.AndoneandallpraisedVasenkaasthoughthey’dchosenthewordstogether.Theygaveheranicknametoo-LuckyEye.Assoonasoneofthemcamealonghe’dmakestraightforVasenka.

　　“Well，LuckyEye，haveyousomethingworthlookingat？

”

　　Vasenkadidseek，forshelikeddoingit.

　　Onceshefoundastonethesizeofherthumbandallthebigfolkcamerunningtotakealook.Sothattimenoonecouldstealit，theyhadtosendittothebank.Andafter，folkssay，itwastakenfromtheTsar’streasurytosomeforeignland.Butthat’snotwhatIwantedtotellyou.

　　Vasenka’sluckmadeitworsefortheotherwomenandmaids，theforemenneverletthemalone.

　　“Whycanshefindallthose，andyoubringusrubbishandlittleofthat？

Youseekwithonlyhalfaheart.”

　　InsteadofgivingVasenkagoodcounselthewomenbandedtogetherinspiteagainsther.Andherlifewasn’tworthliving.Andthenacurcameslaveringround，thechiefforeman.He’danoseforVasenka’sgoodfortune，sohesaid：

“I’llwedthatmaid.”

　　Histeethhadallrottedawaylongbeforeandontopofthatyoucouldn’tcomewithinfivepacesofhimforthestench，asifhe’drottedawayinsidetoo.Andhekeptsnuffling：

“I’llmakealadyofye，mymaid.Mindthat，andthestonesyoufindgivetomeandtonooneelse.Don’tletothersevenseethem.”

　　Vasenkawastallbutshewasn’tneartheagetowed.Shemighthavebeenthirteen，orfourteenmaybe.Butwho’dpayheedtothatifitwastheforeman？

Thepriestwouldwriteanyageinthebook.Well，Vasenkawasrealscared.Herhandsshookandherlegstoowhenshesawthatrottingsuiter.She’dmakehastetogivehimallshe’dfound，andhe’dkeeprumbling：

“Seekwell，Vasenka，seekwell！

Comewinter，you’llbesleepinginafeatherbed.”

　　Assoonashe’dgonethewomenwouldstartjibingandjeeringatVasenka，andshewasreadytotearherselftobitsasitwas，ifshe’dbeenable.Aftertheeveningdrumshe’druntohermotherinthebarrack，butthatonlymadeitallworse.Themotherwassorryforher，ofcourse，triedtoprotectherallshecould，butwhatcouldthebarrackcookdowhenitwasthechiefforeman？

Hecouldhalehertothefloggingpostanydayhewanted.

　　Vasenkamanagedtoholdhimofftillwinter，butshecoulddonomore.Hestartedcomingtohermothereveryday.

　　“Givemethemaidwi’goodwill，orit’llbetheworseforye.”

　　Nousesayingthemaidwastooyoungtowed，he’dpushthatpaperfromthepriestunderhernose.

　　“Willyoutrytolietome！

Thechurchbooksaysshe’ssixteen.Thelawfulage.Betternotcrossmemore，orI’llhaveyetothewhippingposttomorrow.”

　　Sothemotherhadtogiveway.

　　“Seemsit’syourfate，Daughter，andyoucan’tescapeit.”

　　Andthemaid？

Herarmsandlegswentweak，andnotawordcouldshesay.Butbynightfallitpassedoverandsheranawayfromthemine.Shedidn’teventakeanyspecialcare，shejustwentstraightoffdowntheroad，butwherethatroadledshenevereventhought.Allshewantedwastogetasfarawayasshecould.

　　Theweatherwaswarmwithnowind，andatevesnowbegantofall.Gentleflakeslikelittlefeathers.Theroadtookherintotheforest.There’dbewolvesandotherwildanimals，butVasenkadidn’tfearthem.She’dmadeuphermind.

　　“Betterbeeatenbywolvesthanwedstinkingoffal.”

　　Soonandonshewent.Atfirstshesteppedoutbravely.Shecoveredfifteenverstsormaybetwenty.Herclothesweren’tmuchtospeakofbutshewasn’tcold，sheevenfelthot.Thesnowwasdeep，uptoherknees，shecouldhardlyploughthroughit，andthatwarmedher.Anditkeptonfallingthickerthanever，arealmassofit.Vasenkagottiredatlast，shefeltshecouldn’tgoanotherstep，soshesatdownbytheroadside.

　　I’llrestabit，shethought-shedidn’tknowit’stheworstthingyoucando，sitdowninanopenplaceinweatherlikethat.

　　Shesattherelookingatthesnow，anditkeptonfallingandclungtoher.Aftershe’dsatabitshefeltshejustcouldn’tgetup.Butshewasn’tafraid，shejustthought：

I’llhavetositabitlonger，restmyselfproperly.

　　Well，sherested.Thesnowcoveredherrightup，shewaslikeashockofhaystandingbytheroad.Andtherewasavillagenear.

　　Bygoodfortuneoneofthevillagerscamebyinthemorning-insummertimeheusedtoseekgold，andstonestoo.Well，hecamebywithahorseandsledge，andthehorsestoppedandsnortedanddidn’twanttogonearthatshock.Thenthemantookalookandsawitwassomepersonburiedinsnow.Hewentupcloseandfoundthebodywasn’tfrozenthrough，hecouldbendthearms.SoheputVasenkaonthesledge，coveredherwithhissheepskinandoffhomewithher.Thenheandhiswifesettoworktothawherandbringhertolifeagain.Andtheymanagedit.Sheopenedhereyesandherfingersloosed.Andthereinonehandlayagreatshinningstone，purebluewater.Themanwasreallyscaredwhenhesawit，athinglikethatcouldtakeyoutojail，soheasked：

“Wheredidyougetthat？

”

　　“Itflewintomyhandbyitself，”saidVasenka.

　　“What？

How-？

”

　　SoVasenkatoldhimallaboutit.

　　Whenthesnowbegantocoverherrightup，apassageintotheearthsuddenlyopenedinfrontofher.Itwasn’tverywideanditwasdarktoo，butyoucouldgoalongit.Shecouldseesteps，anditwaswarm.Vasenkawasglad.Nonefromthemineswilleverfindmehere，shethought，andwentdownthesteps.Shewentonforalongtimetillshecametoagreatfield，sobigthereseemednoendtoit.Thegrassgrewintuftsandtherewereafewbushesscatteredabout，allofthemyellowastheyareinautumn.Ariverranacrossthemiddle，anditwassmoothandblackwithneverarippleasthoughitwereblackstone.Ontheotherside，justoppositeVasenka，wasalittlemoundandontopofitabigstonelikeatableandsmalleronesrounditlikestools.Butnotthesizefolksuse，muchbigger.Itwascoldandsortoffearsomethere.

　　Vasen